The Ethiopian Air force has bombed the rival forces in the country’s northern region targeting missiles and other heavy artillery systems in the region’s capital and surrounding areas.
In a televised speech on Friday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the country’s air force has conducted air strikes against the forces in Tigray region and completely wiped out heavy weapons which were armed by the north regiment of the country’s defence force.
In what he called the ‘first round of operations’, Abiy said the national army has annihilated the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) and pushed to the point where it cannot conduct retaliatory attacks.
As per the operation, the Ethiopian Air Force has fully annihilated the rockets and artillery of the rebel faction stationed in various fronts with successful air strikes, the Prime Minister underlined.
The air strike has thwarted the intention of the faction to use the rockets that can hit a range of 300 Km from where they are stationed at Mekele City and other places in the vicinity.
Abiy said the massive operations over the last two days had three objectives: the first was to defend TPLF’s attacks; the second was to rehabilitate the federal police, defense forces and federal institutions that undergo attacks by TPLF and the third was to deter TPLF force from using those weapons and rockets that were armed by north command post near Mekele.
According to the Prime Minister, all the three missions were 100 percent accomplished. He said the military operations will continue until all the TPLF leaders whom he referred to as “criminal full of hubris and intransigence” are brought before justice.
The Prime Minister mentioned nothing about the casualties and the TPLF did not comment yet.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reportedly rejected talks with TPLF despite efforts by the AU to mediate the warring parties.
MG/abj/APA